Subscriptions worth paying for

Those monthly subscriptions add up. How do you know what’s gonna be worth that five bucks? Well, it depends on your goals. Are you looking for an agent? For new markets? While there are plenty of amazing resources you can get for free, some are worth their fees.

What: Publishers Marketplace is the go-to site to understand the publishing industry. Find out who represents an author, what book deals are being made, and (to some extent) how they’re selling.

When: Subscribe months before you start working on a book proposal and looking for an agent or a publisher. Start seeing what’s selling and who’s selling it. Keeping track of the publishing industry will help you break into it.

For writers interested in literary journals

What: “Duotrope is a subscription-based service for writers and artists that offers an extensive, searchable database of current fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art markets, a calendar of upcoming deadlines, a personal submissions tracker, and useful statistics compiled from the millions of data points we’ve gathered on the publishers we list.”

I use it to find new journals, because I can see where pieces have been accepted that are similar to the ones I’ve already submitted to.